Moldova withdraws from Energy Charter Treaty following EU example

CHISINAU, May 4. /TASS/. Moldova has withdrawn from the 1994 Energy Charter Treaty due to the incompatibility of the international agreement with the country’s energy security priorities. The denunciation of the treaty was approved by parliament in its final reading, the legislature’s press service reported. "In the context of the transition to a green and sustainable economy, such mechanisms may restrain investment in renewable energy, potentially slowing efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote clean energy sources. <...> Moldova, like the European Union, believes that withdrawal from the Energy Charter Treaty was inevitable in order to align energy policy with commitments to reduce carbon emissions," the press service said. Moldova joined the Energy Charter Treaty in 1996. The Energy Charter Treaty was signed in 1994. The document was aimed at ensuring Western European countries’ access to energy resources from Eastern Europe and Russia in exchange for Western investment. This was intended to diversify energy sources for Western Europe and reduce its dependence on production in the Persian Gulf region. Energy-supplying countries were placed at a disadvantage under the treaty, which is why Russia and Belarus declined to ratify it. In March 2024, the European Commission announced that under current conditions the Energy Charter Treaty no longer aligns with the EU’s interests, and the bloc withdrew from it in 2025. A number of European countries have already completed withdrawal procedures, including Romania, Poland, Italy, and France.